VARA Juice franchise
2026 filing · April 30, 2026Shares sales figures
VARA Juice at a glance
A quick-service restaurant serving made-to-order smoothies, fruit cups, juices, iced coffee and ice cream.
The business
- Franchisor
- VARA Juice Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Dearborn, Michigan
- Typical size
- 900–1,200 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $236K–$643K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $25,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5% + minimum
- The greater of 5% of gross sales or $350 a week, paid weekly, plus the greater of 2% or $138 to the brand development fund
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 2% of gross sales or $138, whichever is more, paid with the royalty
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 50% of our then current Franchise Fee
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- Franchised, 2025
- 14
- As printed in the filing
From VARA Juice Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
VARA Juice among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | VARA Juice | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $439,511 | Costs more than 58% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $25,000 | Lower than 82% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $561,461 | Lower than 66% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 1.3× | Lower than 63% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a VARA Juice franchise costs
Opening one VARA Juice costs an estimated $236,065 to $642,956. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($60,000 to $250,000) and additional funds (three months) ($43,540 to $114,514). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25,000 | ||
| Professional Services | $4,000 | $15,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $60,000 | $250,000 | |
| Equipment, Fixtures, and Furniture | $37,724 | $93,690 | |
| Point-of-Sale (“POS”) System (Electronic cash register) | $3,636 | $5,232 | |
| Permits, Licenses | $7,000 | $15,000 | |
| Signage (Indoor/Outdoor) | $4,000 | $20,000 | |
| Miscellaneous Travel and Living Expenses while Training | $3,460 | $5,880 | |
| Initial Inventory and Operating Supplies | $15,000 | $22,000 | |
| Branded Promotional Materials, and Uniforms | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $15,000 | $25,000 | |
| Initial Lease Payments | $3,900 | $17,440 | |
| Insurance | $685 | $1,700 | |
| Miscellaneous Pre-opening Expenses | $12,120 | $29,500 | |
| Additional Funds (three months) | $43,540 | $114,514 | |
| Total | $236,065 | $642,956 | |
Source: VARA Juice Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 19
VARA Juice franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: VARA Juice Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 5% of gross sales or $350 a week, paid weekly, plus the greater of 2% or $138 to the brand development fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales or $138, whichever is more, paid with the royalty. |
| Technology Fee | Currently $328 |
| Transfer Fee | $10,000 |
| Renewal Fee (b) | 50% of our then current Franchise Fee |
| Additional Training | $350 to $700 per day plus travel, room and board expenses. |
| Minimum Local Advertising | 2% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: VARA Juice Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 13
Other fees as filed, from pages 13–15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures VARA Juice publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average sales
- $561,461
- Median sales
- $551,284
Yearly figures for 2025, covering franchised restaurants open all of 2025 (gas-station co-brand and a mid-year transfer left out) (6 locations). The average is about 1.3 times the midpoint of the cost to open.
Sales are what a location takes in before rent, payroll, royalties and other costs, not what its owner keeps.
Source: VARA Juice Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, pages 55–56
SBA loans to VARA Juice franchisees
Lenders approved 2 SBA 7(a) loans for VARA Juice franchisees in 2026, $460K in all. None has been paid off or charged off yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How VARA Juice compares
Of the 60 smoothie franchises on this site, VARA Juice is the 35th cheapest to open.
| Figure | VARA Juice | Typical smoothie brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $236K | $227K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $643K | $519K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $25K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| Sales per location | $561K | $586K | $794K |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 45 of 60 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 60 brands in smoothie franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 4 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 4 |
| 2023 | 4 (+4) | 3 |
| 2024 | 8 (+4) | 3 |
| 2025 | 14 (+6) | 2 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
These figures don't add up as printed: the 2024 counts come to 11, but the filing shows 12. Worth asking the franchisor.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: smoothie and juice franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Over 5 years, from the start of 2021 to the end of 2025, franchised locations went from 0 to 14 (+14). The earlier years come from the brand's 2024 filing.
Source: VARA Juice Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 58
2021–2022: VARA Juice Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, page 60
Where VARA Juice locations are
At the end of 2025, VARA Juice had locations in 6 states. The most are in Michigan, North Carolina and Illinois.
- Michigan10
- North Carolina2
- Illinois1
- New Jersey1
- New York1
- South Carolina1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Illinois | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| New York | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: VARA Juice Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 59
Who owns VARA Juice?
VARA Juice franchises are sold by VARA Juice Franchising, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From VARA Juice Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing, page 9.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: VARA Juice Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 12, bankruptcy on page 12
VARA Juice filings
A franchisor files a new disclosure each year it sells franchises. The figures on this page come from VARA Juice Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing, issued April 30, 2026; the earlier ones below are on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository and the Minnesota Department of Commerce and fill in older location counts.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 30, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
| 2024 filing | – | Minnesota | Locations, 2021–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other smoothie franchises
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VARA Juice is also on these lists: ice cream franchises, food franchises.